omelets
by MixItUp
Summary: Life together isn't always easy. Romance, humor, angst, drama, friendship. NaruSaku. ShikaIno. KibaHina. Multi-chap. Complete.
1. The Last Night

_Omelets_

**Chapter One: **_The Last Night_

**Disclaimer: **_**The Last Night**_**, **_**Naruto**_**, and all related characters and places do not belong to me. Duh. **

**A/N: Wow, I didn't think I'd ever finish this, but here it is...after two or three years, finally complete(ish). SUPER HUGE THANK YOU TO MY AMAZING BETA, TwilightLink20xx. Also, my best franndd Sky helped a ton with plot elements. Don't try to fit this with Naruto's **_**actual**_** house design; it blatantly doesn't work. Each chapter is inspired by a song - this one is **_**The Last Night.**_** I don't own any of the songs, and I'm not posting the lyrics as part of the fic, so it's not against the rules. I wrote this quite a while ago, so if it doesn't conform to current plot elements...whatever. It's a future!fic anyway.**

**

* * *

**She couldn't believe this. Standing tall, hands on her hips, green eyes threatening tears, medic-nin Haruno Sakura glared at her mother. Not many people dared to get Sakura this angry, seeing as it usually caused broken bones - but this was her mother, who had just as much of a temper as Sakura herself.

The older woman was just as resolute (and angry) as her daughter, emerald eyes burning and pink hair falling into her eyes. The scene would have looked quite comical to an outsider, seeing as they both had a tendency to turn red when angry, but anyone who'd dare laugh would have been dead before you could say "overreacting". "Sweetie-" Sakura's mother began, trying to be reasonable.

The floodgates opened, and Sakura began to cry. Sniffling quietly and trying to blink away her tears, she turned away. "I'll be in my room," she said, her voice catching on the last word.

Her mother regarded her calmly, although it was a slipping facade. "All right," she replied coolly, struggling to keep her own tear ducts in check as her daughter stalked off. This wasn't the first time they'd fought over a certain subject, but it was the most explosive. She bit her lip, replaying the fight in her mind. She didn't want to consider this, because she didn't want her daughter to be hurt again...but she was afraid that...

_This is so stupid!_ Sakura slammed her door much too hard, then collapsed on her bed, her vision blurred by the tears she finally allowed to fall. She hugged her knees and stared at the walls, as if the answer to her problems were hidden in them.

It had started when she had come back from an exhausting day of training with Naruto. The thought of him made her smile bitterly. He was older, and she would reluctantly admit a lot more mature when need be, but he still acted like the same hyper, irritating boy he had been most of the time. He also still harbored a crush on his "Sakura-chan", to her slight annoyance. It was no wonder nobody had asked her out (save Naruto himself, and Lee, who would never learn) since the two of them had returned, bloody and with Sasuke in tow.

Actually, most guys with even the slightest interest in Sakura "mysteriously" ended up in the hospital, and she "mysteriously" got called away by Tsunade to do some mundane chore. Naturally, Naruto denied any involvement, and Tsunade refused to answer Sakura's questions, but she strongly suspected that either Naruto was bribing the Hokage with free sake or there was some sort of betting pool going on. She wondered who all was in on it. Ino, for sure. The pig loved matchmaking, especially when it involved Sakura, but she'd been pretty inactive lately, which was suspicious... Wait, she was getting distracted.

Really, Sakura didn't mind his interference. It kept the freaks twice her age away, and after her heartbreaking attempt at a romance with Sasuke, she had little interest in dating at all. Plus, it made Naruto happy, and he hadn't been nearly as happy lately, which worried her. Of course, he'd been gloomier ever since Jiraiya-sama's death, and after every failed mission to retrieve Sasuke, the bloodshed and anger that had spread through Konoha...but this didn't seem related. What could possibly be bothering him so much? He did try to hide it under a cheerful exterior (_as usual_), but Sakura knew him much too well to fall for that. Now she was _really_ distracted.

Her mother obviously didn't want to make the fox-boy happy, however. What so steamed Sakura (_how could she even think that?_) was (_my nonexistent love life is none of her business_) the proposal of (_really, what was she thinking?_) an arranged marriage (_that's so old-fashioned! In a really bad way!_) with (_haven't I made it clear I have no interest anymore in-_) Sasuke.

Of course, five years earlier, she would have been overjoyed. But now - wiser in the ways of the world, and with the horrific images of Sasuke hurting Naruto, Naruto who only came as a friend but left as a jailer thanks to Sasuke's actions, burned on her eyelids - the thought disgusted her.

She still loved him as a friend. She really did. But every time Sakura looked into those dark eyes that had once enchanted her, she saw blood, and felt the pain from her scarred arm. Some things can't be healed with medical ninjutsu, she reflected. Emotional scars, betrayal, heartbreak. She rolled up her sleeve to look at the arm she always covered now, horrendously scarred all up and down its length. She could easily have healed it. But life is cruel, and she felt she needed a reminder of that. Love is never painless, especially when only one person feels it.

She hiccupped. Stupid crying. Stupid Sasuke. Stupid _everything_.

Sakura's mother did not and could not have known about most of these physical and emotional scars, it was true. It was the comment after Sakura's polite "no" that made the teenager's blood boil.

_"You've found someone else, have you?"_

Unconsciously she hugged herself tighter, closing the world out.

_"Not that demon, I hope!"_

No matter what lived inside him, he was no more a demon than her. Probably less.

_"He'll never amount to anything. You're not that stupid, I trust."_

If she wasn't so mad, she could have laughed - Tsunade had already confirmed that Naruto would be receiving the title of Rokudaime Hokage soon enough. Of course, she couldn't tell anybody yet; only Naruto and Sakura were in the know, and the current Hokage wished to keep it that way until she settled a few affairs.

_"He'll never amount to anything."_ Her mother's voice echoed in her ears. _"Demon...stupid...useless..."_

Sakura had thought the same once. She knew she was being a hypocrite. But if only she _could_ tell that obstinate woman the news. She'd eat her words. _Never amount to anything, demon, useless, evil, monster_ - how could you even describe happy, funny, caring Naruto with those words? He was like sunshine to her after Sasuke left, and she was a flower, like her name - turning towards the sun and basking in his warmth. Her mother wouldn't understand, she supposed.

"Shannaro..." she muttered, looking wistfully at the trees. How she'd love to knock down a tree - or twenty. Better than taking her fierce anger out on her mother, definitely. Maybe not quite as fun, though. If only she could just escape, be free from this.

_Oh. _

She could escape. She might not be legal _just_ yet, but she _was_ a ninja after all. She could always stay with a friend while trying to find a decent apartment (which, according to Ino, who'd recently moved into a snug apartment of her own, was like trying to find a guy who was smart, nice, _and_ good-looking). Springing to her feet, newly energized, she pulled a bag down and starting filling it with clothes. She supposed she didn't need to bring _all_ of her clothes - let's see, those fancy dresses would be more trouble than they're worth, she never wore them anyway.

At once, Sakura wondered two things - who she'd stay with, and how long it would take for her parents to discover her absence.

_I could stay with Ino...nah, we'd kill each other. Hmm._ She carelessly tossed handfuls of hair ties, makeup, and beauty products into the bag, too preoccupied to notice the blush spilling all over her black skirt. _Ugh, I forgot I even owned that...maybe I could stay with Hinata. I don't know her very well, but she seems pretty nice. I don't know if she likes me very much, it's obvious she has her eye on Naruto..._Sakura didn't understand why that annoyed her so much, but she quickly discarded the thought of staying with Hinata. _Who else is there? Tenten...I don't know her very well, either..._

"I'm home!" she heard her father call, and instinctively cursed silently and started packing faster. _That should be everything I'll need._ Her eyes drifted to a low table and she reached over and picked up her treasured old Team 7 photo, smiling nostalgically. _I guess I'll leave it. I don't want Ino to think I'm some sort of baby who needs a picture of her teammates next to her bed to sleep. _She dusted it off with her hand. _Life was so much simpler then_.

She propped the picture back up on the stand, took one last look around, and slipped out the window in the quiet style of a trained ninja.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto stared out the window, not really paying attention to his surroundings. His blue eyes were dull as he rested his head on his hands in a rare solemn and introspective moment. _I wonder what Sakura-chan is doing_, he mused.

It was no secret that he liked - no, loved the pink-haired kunoichi. What was not to love? He was honestly surprised that everybody didn't seem to love her as much as he did - _she's not perfect, I know, but I'm about the furthest thing from it myself._ He adored every inch of her, from the tips of her blossom-colored hair and intelligent emerald eyes to her perpetually booted toes. He closed his eyes, picturing her smile.

That smile was the killer; it was what had drawn him to her in the first place. When Sakura smiled, her whole face lit up in a lovely display that just pulled Naruto in and made him want to draw her close and kiss her gentl-

Um. Yeah.

When she smiled _(wow)_, it completely captivated the blonde shinobi (which sometimes proved dangerous in the heat of battle, but he didn't want to remember that). The world stopped, spotlights focused on her, and angels sang. At least in his lovestruck mind.

She had never noticed him, back when they were kids, and yet he had kept up his hopeless crush on her. No matter how many times she told him to get lost, he couldn't. Naruto had always been sure they were meant to be.

Sakura noticed him now more, of course. They were friends, close friends, and yet that seemed like that was all she wanted. He sighed and gazed out at the town. Sometimes he wondered if it would have been better on his heart if she never had noticed him, if she had kept on rejecting him entirely. Although he knew she wasn't, it felt like she was taunting him, giving him a taste of what it would be like if they were _together_, and then taking it back away. _If only-_

No.

He wasn't going to think about that.

They were friends. _Friends._

He shouldn't want more.

At all.

Yet he still did. He knew it irritated her, and made him feel even stupider than usual, falling again and again for a girl who would never care about him like that. But there was something about her that he couldn't escape from. _We'd be perfect._

When Jiraiya _(ah, good old Ero-Sennin...)_ took him away from her for those years, Naruto had hoped he'd find someone else, or at least be able to distract himself. Not so. He grew up loving her, even away from his flower, as he liked to think of her _(although she'd kill me if she knew about that)_, and when he came back and saw her, he actually thought he might have a chance.

Maybe he loved her so much because he could see what it would be like. _If we were together, I mean._ Their chemistry was perfect - even socially retarded Sai could tell that. They worked together perfectly as a team, and so they would as romantic partners.

_Like that's going to happen._

He was honest with himself. Sakura had turned him down so many times, and although they often went on strictly "friends-only" dates, she obviously felt nothing beyond friendship for him. And who would? He was a demon, rude, blunt, not exactly the brightest shinobi in town, and altogether a good "guy friend", or whatever girls called them, but not boyfriend material. _(...that's a really stupid phrase...)_

His heart gave a twang as he looked around his apartment. _I'm so tired of this feeling._ He knew it well, of course. He'd known it for as long as he could remember, before he knew what it was called.

Naruto was painfully lonely.

Sure, he had friends. Lots of them. But they were at their own houses or apartments, with their families or spouses, or at least an occasional visiting friend. His apartment only ever held him, and he dreaded coming "home" every day to it, to hear his footsteps clacking loudly on the hard floors in an otherwise silent room.

He looked away from the window and wandered into his room. The faster he went to sleep, the faster it'd be the next day, when he'd see _her_ again.

* * *

It was raining. _Crap._ _Should've looked out the window to check._ And she called herself a ninja? She sighed and hoisted the bag over her shoulder, before setting out for...somewhere...

Flaw number two in her plan. She had been so eager to leave she hadn't reconsidered who to stay with. Sakura wasn't sure she could stand Ino's company for that long. Maybe if she walked around (_in the rain, great plan, genius_, her inner self mocked) for awhile, she'd have an idea.

Right.

Sighing yet again, she let her feet carry her to that bench she had sat on so long ago. This was the place where Sasuke had almost kissed her, and it was also the place he left her. She shivered, not entirely out of cold. Why was she dwelling on those memories? She was over that. He never loved her as more than a friend, and she no longer wanted him to.

She sat on the bench. _Wish I'd had the forethought to bring an umbrella._ So much for being the smart one. She put her head on her hands and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the cool rain on her face. _Crud, it's washing off all my makeup. Oh well. If I'm gonna run away from home, I might as well look like a runaway._

Sakura smiled, seeing in her mind's eye the first day of Team 7. Kakashi-sensei had been late, which later became routine with them. Naruto had been...enthusiastic, to say the least _("My name's Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm gonna be the next Hokage!")_, Sasuke had been painfully cold to them _("There aren't many things I like...you're annoying")_, and Sakura herself had been...

What had they thought of her? Back when she was almost 13, confident and sure that Sasuke loved her (_wow, I was really delusional_), she had thought they treasured her company. Which was probably true in Naruto's case. But Sasuke most definitely did not enjoy her presence any more than she had appreciated Naruto way back then. _(I was such a jerk to him...I never apologized, either...)_

She resolved that moment that she would apologize for those wrongs so many years ago when she saw him next. He had done so much for her and she had pushed him away, never even considering being friends with him. The medic-nin hoped she was more pleasant to be around now, but she knew that there were lots of girls nicer than her...like Hinata...

Okay, now it was a little too cool. Shivering again, she stood up. She was soaked! _How long was I sitting there thinking? Now I'm going to catch a cold. This is just great, Sakura, just great._

She wondered if all this talking to herself was a sign of a mental problem. Might be the reason why everything seemed to be going so quickly and yet so slowly. _And I'm still standing out here in the rain. Wow._

Lightning cracked, and Sakura cringed. She hated storms. With terrifying accuracy, she saw another bolt knock down a nearby tree, and gulped.

She started running, her feet knowing the way, her eyes firmly closed. _Don't let that hit me, don't let that hit me...that sounded close...oh-_

She was there, wherever there was. She felt the rain dripping off her clothes and appreciated the drier porch. She realized her teeth were chattering, but couldn't seem to make them stop, and finally opened her eyes, expecting to be at Ino's.

_How the heck did this happen?_

Sakura was looking at Naruto's front door. She hugged herself, trying to make herself warmer and only succeeding in getting her clothes even wetter. She knocked on the door, the noise hurting her ears. _Oww...I think I'm starting to get a headache..._

What troubled her more was..._wow, my mind's feeling hazy..._how she had ended up..._is the ground moving?_...here, at..._why can't I think straight?_...Naruto's apartment..._wait...Naruto...that's not right...I should be at Ino's..._

A light came on. _Oh, shouldn't have opened my eyes..._Naruto would be mad that she was so messed up..._why am I even here what was I thinking_...but not mad at her, never at her..._too nice to me...crap, I hear footsteps..._She was pretty sure things weren't supposed to look so blurry and inverted..._oh no he's coming what do I say oh gosh this is crazy Sakura..._did she come because she felt..._I think my head's going to explode..._safe with him?

_He's opening the door oh no oh crap crap crappity crappy crap he's gonna ask why I'm here and I don't even know-_

"Sakura-chan!"

_He looks worried I don't want to worry him...but my head hurts and I can't even talk...I don't want to..._

"Sakura-chan! Are you okay? You're all pale! Sakura-chan!"

_His hand feels cool on my forehead...don't stop that...I think I'm going to..._

"Sakura-chan, speak to me, please!"

_Oww...your voice is too loud, Naru...Naru..._

"...Naruto..." she whispered weakly.

Sakura fainted into his arms.


	2. You Found Me

_Omelets_

**Chapter Two: **_You Found Me_

**Disclaimer: I own NaruSaku plushies. ...but I don't think that counts.**

**A/N: This one is based off of Kelly Clarkson's lovely **_**You Found Me**_**, from her CD **_**Breakaway.**_

Uzumaki Naruto stood there, completely bemused, staring down at the girl passed-out in his arms. His blond hair was even messier than usual, and his confusion showed through his clear blue eyes. _Sakura-chan fainted...wait...OHNOSHEFAINTED! I better, uh, put her down, somewhere...this feels kinda nice though..._

He closed the door behind him as he reentered his apartment, Sakura gently draped over his arms. With practiced precision, he avoided the many safety hazards (ramen bowl, ramen bowl, shirt, ramen bowl, kunai...) strewn across his floor and laid her on the bed gingerly, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl. She smiled and murmured something he couldn't distinguish.

Naruto had to smile at his crush. _She looks so peaceful_. He had no clue why she'd come, or why she was soaked and dirty, but he could ask her when she woke up. He leaned over the bed and pulled the covers over her as quietly as he could, then pried a bag he hadn't noticed before from her hand. Curious, he peered inside.

It was filled with clothes, makeup, money, and the few weapons she didn't wear on her person. _Where was she going?_ he wondered, glancing nervously at his friend and teammate. _She wasn't leaving Konoha, was she?_

Trying to make to make as little noise as possible, he set the bag down and backed away, forgetting his worries with the sight of her calm face. _Wonder what she's dreaming about_. At least she was safe for now.

Naruto yawned, and with one last furtive look at Sakura, leaned against the wall and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Sakura woke up in an unfamiliar bed, and as soon as she realized this she felt the rush of rising panic. Her senses were heightened as she strained to detect a sign of her location. _Was I taken captive? Where am I?_

Silently, she rolled over and surveyed her surroundings. Her trained eyes scanned the room. _Wait, I know this place_. Another glance confirmed her hunch - the Team 7 photograph sitting on the bedside stand, just like in her own room.

She sat up and yawned. _How did I end up in Naruto's apartment?_ she thought sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Then with a start, she remembered the events of the previous night. Heat flooded her cheeks as the girl recalled fainting _(like some useless damsel in distress!)_ into Naruto's arms.

Sakura would _never_ live this down.

Yawning again, she drowsily wandered into the living area, still fighting her blush with mental shuriken. Flopping in the couch, she was pleasantly surprised to see Naruto poke his spiky-haired head out from the kitchen, and then had to stifle a giggle.

The soon-to-be Hokage was wearing an apron and chef's hat, holding a spatula, and grinning from ear to ear. "You're up! Good morning, Sakura-chan." _How long has he been waiting for me to get up?_

All she could reply with was a helpless giggle, but he continued anyway. "You like omelets, right? I mean, almost everyone likes omelets, usually, right? I never cook for anybody else, and you know me, I'll eat just about anything, but I can make you something else if you want, like, um, toast. And bacon. I mean or bacon. Or both. But I mean, there's nothing wrong with omelets, right? Unless you're one of those weird anti-egg people who protest, like, chicken rights. But you're not, right? Cause you would have told me, I mean I've known you for for-"

She cut his babbling off. _Some things never change._ "I like omelets," Sakura answered, almost shyly. _He looks kinda cute like that - actually, he looks really cute all the time..._

_Wait...what?_

Naruto echoed her thoughts. "Uh...what?" he asked, confusion apparent in his clear blue eyes, and for a second she was afraid she'd said that _crazy_ last part out loud, until he smiled. "Right, omelets - oh _crap_, the omelets!" He dashed off, dropping the spatula on the way.

Sakura sighed, but happily, over the muffled crashing, cursing, and interjections of "Oww, that's hot!" and "Where did I put the spatula again?" He'd never change, but she didn't really mind. She felt safer and more comfortable than she had in so long - he always cheered her up, it was true. She rested her head on her knees, suddenly aware she was still wearing the same clothes and probably looked like crap. _Oh well,_ she thought lazily. _I'll change after breakfast._

Naruto emerged from the kitchen/battle arena a minute later, carefully carrying two pates of omelets, with a kage bunshin following and balancing two glasses of juice. The two Narutos put their luggage down, the clone disappeared, and the real fox-boy settled himself on the couch next to Sakura. He sat closer than she normally would have liked _(feeling brave today?)_, but she felt a strange desire to be even closer. Without really thinking about it _(wonder if he'd notice if I just...)_, she discreetly scooted closer to him and smiled.

He smiled sunnily back, but he had obviously noticed. _Cover! Quickly!_ "Umm..." she began, suddenly nervous. "I-I didn't know you could cook." _Great, now I sound like I'm trying to flirt with him. And failing at it._

It worked, though. The blonde smiled again, more comfortably. "I don't live _completely_ on ramen, you know," he teased, his eyes lighting up, and this time she noticed _him_ subtly moving closer. For some reason, today she didn't mind.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I thought I remembered you having mentioned you did," she said with amusement, still a little nervous but covering it up well. _I hope._ "Did you grow out of it?"

He just grinned back at her, and she wondered if her words had even processed. _He can be so stupid sometimes..._

She couldn't explain why, but it was hard to tear her eyes away from his grin to eat her breakfast, but not wanting to be rude _(and I'm really hungry, all I had was a salad last night for dinner!)_, she took a bite out of the omelet. "It's _good_," she said in amazement. She didn't even _like_ omelets that much, but...not only could he cook, he could cook well. That was nice.

Naruto pouted at her, looking ridiculous, but still cute. _(My mind is against me today.) _"What'd you expect?"

Why couldn't she stop giggling? "I should have known you could cook." _And now I _am _flirting. Crap._

He stretched, looking rather pleased with himself. "Just another of my amazing talents," he joked with a slight smirk, then flinched as if she was going to hit him. She shoved him gently, and felt herself blush. _What's wrong with me today, seriously?_ Sakura went back to eating, and Naruto did the same.

"So, what exactly happened to you last night?" he asked, obviously trying to sound casual and not succeeding at all. She paused and looked at him, honestly wanting to tell him, but...

"Well..." she stalled nervously. "I, uh, I don't really want to talk about...why...but I was looking for a place to stay, and it started storming. I was close to here, so I just kind of ended up here. And passed out." Not a _total_ lie.

"By complete accident, huh."

He knew her too well. "It was close, and, um, well-" Sakura hesitated. "I, um, I was wondering if-ifIcouldlivewithyou - just, you know. Until I get my own apartment. I mean. If you don't mind."

Naruto was quiet, and she looked at him, concerned. His eyes looked so..._deep_ right now, she almost missed what he said when he finally spoke. "As long as you like, Sakura-chan." He leaned back, obviously nervous. She wasn't sure what this was about, but obviously he didn't want to talk about, so she respected his privacy and let the subject drop.

They ate in silence until Sakura put her plate into Naruto's outstretched hand and said seriously, "We can't tell anybody about this, though."

Confused, his blue eyes met her green ones. "What, omelets?"

She giggled. "I meant us...living together. People would jump to conclusions. You know."

"Oh." She waited for him to get it. "Ohh. Yeah."

Batting her eyelashes playfully, she teased, "But you know, I don't think I want to share your cooking, either. So that can be our secret, too." She put a finger to her lips in a cute, childish gesture. _Haha. His expression is priceless._

Naruto blushed and carried the plates to the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, "The hag gave me a mission with Shikamaru and Sasuke, so, um, I guess you'll be at the hospital?"

"Actually, it's my day off," Sakura replied, still smiling. "You'll be back around...?"

"Dinnertime," he answered predictably, sticking his head back out to grin at her. Coming back into the living room, he scratched the back of his head and awkwardly muttered, "So, uh, I'll see you then, I guess." He looked from her to the door, then edged over and left.

"Don't do anything too stupid!" she called after him, feeling all giggly and fluttery for some reason. _I should probably shower and change, and then..._She looked around at Naruto's extremely messy apartment. _Maybe I can fix this place up a bit. Men are _such _pigs._ Sighing but not really minding, she retreated to the Western-style for a nice, relaxing shower.

* * *

Naruto was incredibly happy about a simple surveillance mission, Shikamaru noted with some confusion, not really caring. _Normally, he'd be complaining about it. This way is a lot less troublesome, but I wonder why._

"Hey, come on, let's go!" the aforementioned blonde ninja shouted, waving his arms, and his jounin friend rolled his eyes. _If he wants to be the Hokage, he should really start acting a bit more mature._

"What are you so happy about, anyway?" Shikamaru demanded of his hyper friend.

Naruto shrugged and blushed for some reason. "Heh, well, it's a nice day."

Sasuke, silent and stoic as usual, looked up at the bright glow of the sun. "Hn," he remarked. _Would it kill him to say something for once, instead of just grunting?_ The man scowled.

Shikamaru didn't bother to think about it again until they were turning in the mission report to Tsunade. Naruto had actually written it for once _(nice of him, I was getting sick of those things)_, and handed it to the Hokage with a grin on his face. "Is that it? Can we go now?"

The woman looked at him with some amusement. "Yesterday you stayed hours late after Sakura went home, asking if you could do anything for me, and now you're dying to get out. Sick of my company?"

"Of course not, hag," he replied affectionately. "I just, uh-"

Tsunade raised her eyebrows. "Oh, do you have a date with Sakura?" _Hmm. Maybe that's the reason he's been so happy today. He's so bright, he's burning my eyes. Can you shut up so the rest of us can leave? Best time of the day for cloud-watching, you know._

The statement that normally would have made the shinobi blush he answered today with a fox-like grin. "Maybe I do."

The blonde Hokage chuckled. "Well, don't keep her waiting." Sizing him up with a glare, she instructed, "And be polite, for once!"

"I will!" Naruto protested, dashing out the door. Shikamaru and Sasuke exchanged exasperated glances before going to their own occupations. _Ah, peace. Finally._

_

* * *

_

Sakura relished the hot shower - the previous night's chill had long worn off, but the memories were still vividly burned into her consciousness. She felt more alive now than she had in awhile, washing away scorn and rejection with the dirt that had been clinging to her skin. This was almost like a vacation.

Her thoughts drifted back to Naruto as she worked the shampoo into her hair. They had come so far together, and she was pleased to realize they hadn't lost that core connection that made them work so well as a team. In fact, she predicted living with him would be downright pleasant.

As nice as this was, however, _nobody_ could know. _Especially_ people like Ino and Tsunade, who would jump to wild conclusions. Sakura shook her head and sighed again. She had work to do and didn't have time to linger, although she seriously could have spent another hour in the hot shower. _Oh, well. It was nice while it lasted._

Stepping out, she was glad she'd brought a towel of her own - Naruto had only one, clearly worn. She added "towels" to her mental shopping list. _What does he do when it's in the wash?_ she wondered.

Slipping into a comfortable skirt and a soft pink peasant blouse, she mentally listed things to buy and do. _I can shop for this place after I clean up,_ Sakura decided, smiling and shaking her head.

And with that, she set to work on her hair. _Naruto will definitely be surprised when he comes home,_ she thought with satisfaction, not even noticing her use of the word "home".


	3. Crazy In Love

_Omelets_

**Chapter Three:**_ Crazy in Love_

**Disclaimer: You know the deal.**

Haruno Sakura stood triumphantly in the middle of Naruto's living room room like the victor in some tremendous fight, which of course she was. _Sakura - 1, Naruto's apartment - 0,_ she thought with satisfaction.

It had been a fierce battle, for sure, and the apartment had put up quite a good fight, but she had defeated it in the end. You could actually see the floor. The windows and mirrors were clean and shiny again, and the hard floors had been mopped to a glossy sheen. The champion herself collapsed onto the slightly cleaner couch and helped herself to some hard-earned ice cream, right from the carton. _Yum._

After she had licked the spoon and dumped the carton in the trash, it was time for her next Herculean task - shopping for all the things Naruto had never bothered to buy. Pulling out her now physical shopping list _(he owes me major for this)_, she checked that nobody on the street was looking and slipped out the window.

* * *

"Sakura-chan?" a certain blond shinobi we all know and love called, looking around. _Wow, something about this place looks really different...where is she? What if she decided to go back to her parents? What if this was all some prank set up by Ino and-_

"I'm in here!" she called back finally, causing him to sigh with relief, then stopped in wonder when he entered the living room.

"It's clean!" Naruto exclaimed in astonishment, looking around his own apartment like he'd never seen anything like it before.

_Idiot,_ Sakura thought, smiling. "Yeah, I had nothing better to do. This place was _such_ a pigsty, you really owe me one, you know. Look!" she said suddenly, pointing downwards. "The floor! I didn't know you even _had_ one under all that crap."

The male ninja smiled widely at her, reached forward, and pulled her into a tight hug. She hugged back, now really noticing how much taller he was compared to her. _He's really grown..._

"You didn't have to do that," he murmured from somewhere above her right ear.

"Of course I did," she replied softly, feeling a shiver go down her back. _I'm not cold..._ "I couldn't live here with it so messy."

He released her. "I guess I do owe you. Hmm...will a date begin to cover my debt?" he asked teasingly, grinning.

Sakura gave him an appraising look. "Not Ichiraku's?"

"Anywhere you like," he promised sincerely, his grin getting bigger by the second. "I'll cover all of it."

The kunoichi grinned back suddenly. _He can be so sweet sometimes,_ her inner self giggled. "I can't say no to that!" she declared cheerfully, tossing her pink hair back. A thought occured to her, and her expression turned serious. "But...just as friends, right?"

"Of course, Sakura-chan." His smile looked pained. _Crap, now I've made him feel bad..._

"I mean," she hastened to add, "we're, um, living together and stuff-" _(I can't get used to that phrase...)_

"I understand completely, Sakura-chan," Naruto cut her off, looking less strained.

"Great!" she said, cheery again. _He's going to think I'm bipolar or something. Hmm. Maybe I am. _"Come on, let's go!"

* * *

Sakura picked a new restaurant not far from Naruto's _(or should it be "our"?)_ apartment. It was a cozy little cafe, traditional but informal, and unfortunately more romantic than she would have expected; with the rose-painted walls, delicate tables, and a general air of amor, she felt out-of-place - or maybe it was that they were actually fitting in.

"How'd the mission go?" she asked, sipping her tea and pushing away her uneasy thoughts. "Anything interesting happen?"

Naruto shrugged and emptied his cup. "Pretty boring, actually. Sasuke and Shikamaru say hi." _I'm not that stupid, you know...but I know you're trying to make me happy..._

She glared. "Liar. Sasuke never says hi to anybody."

He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "When I mentioned you, he grunted. I speak fluent Sasuke-ese, and I translated it as 'tell her hi for me'. Could be wrong, though."

Sakura rolled her eyes, trying to hold back a laugh. "You give him too much credit. And personality." _Have I ever heard Sasuke say hi in my life?_ she wondered absent-mindedly.

He gave her a mock-glare in return, but she could tell he was secretly pleased. She smiled at him, and something jumped in her ribcage, something she strongly suspected was her heart. _Why do we always seem to blur that line between friendship, and, well..._

She was completely aware of the way he felt about her, but that didn't mean she returned the feelings, or that they were-

"Aww! You're such a cute couple," the waitress gushed, refilling their cups and awarding them with smiles. Sakura noticed with some annoyance that her friend made no move to correct the mistaken employee.

"We're not-" she tried helplessly, but the waitress winked conspiratorally.

"That's not what your young man seems to think," she chuckled, nodding towards Naruto, who looked like he was trying to win a "Tomato Impersonation Contest". _Well, he's not helping __at all_.

"He's not _my-_" she attempted again, but the waitress just winked again and left.

"Umm...are you...okay, Sakura-chan?" He was still a blushing mess, she observed, with what would have been a smirk if-

Wait. Sakura raised a hand to her cheeks, only to discover they felt like they were on fire, hotter than a fever.

_Well, crap._

"Sakura-chan?" He was looking at her worriedly, as if he was afraid she would faint. _(Again.)_

"I'm fine," she assured him, feeling her cheeks get even hotter, if possible. _What does this mean? Why do I feel so strange?_

She didn't eat much after that, but picked at food while watching Naruto carefully for a reason impossible for her to comprehend. _Seriously, what's wrong with me? _He practically had to lead her out of the warm restaurant as she spaced out. _Sorry, Naruto!_

The cold air woke her out of the strange trance, and after she apologized ("No problem, Sakura-chan!"), they started walking home.

_Wait, home?_

"Are you sure you're all right?" He looked concerned. "Not really" would have been the honest answer, but not wanting to worry him, she forced a smile.

"I'm fine, Naruto." Suddenly lonely, she moved closer to him, the body heat making her feel more alive again. _Maybe I'm getting sick...I feel pretty dizzy...crap, and I have to work tomorrow..._

"Cold?" he asked, obviously still worried. Sakura nodded, rather than try to explain a feeling she couldn't describe in words, but stopped him when he moved to take his jacket off.

"I'm fine," she repeated.

_Am I really?_

_

* * *

_

_I hope Sakura-chan's okay,_ Uzumaki Naruto thought worriedly, glancing at his female companion. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were unfocused - he was no medic, but that sounded like the symptoms for a cold, right? Or maybe she was having one of those girl-headaches. _But she doesn't seem to be getting mad at me, though...maybe she doesn't feel well enough to..._

As much as he hated to think it, she looked _really_ pretty when she was sick. Her eyes fluttered and she yawned, then turned redder when she noticed his stare. "What?" she demanded, with that scary, crazy expression on her face that he loved, although he hated seeing it because it usually meant he was in _big_ trouble.

"Nothing, Sakura-chan!" he muttered nervously, immediately switching his gaze to the road in front of them. _As soon as we get back, I'll-_

"Umm...Naruto?" His train of thought was interrupted from the angel next to him. She smiled sweetly, but he could tell she was still a little out of it. _...she's still smiling...either this is really good, or really bad..._Wow, that smile of hers never failed to short his brain out...

"Naruto?" she demanded, not looking quite as happy. "Are you listening to me!"

"Yes ma'am!" he blurted. _At least she seems a little better than in the restaurant..._

Scooting even _closer_ to him _(wow, Sakura-chan _must _be sick. Guess I should enjoy it while it lasts, though...)_, the sunny smile returned to her face, although her eyes still looked far away. "Thanks."

How did she make her eyes so hypnotizing? It registered after a few too-long seconds of silence what she had said, and still gazing into those eyes _(Sakura is a very good name for her...she looks like a flower...)_, he replied without thinking, "No problem - wait, for what?"

She giggled. _(...I'm really confused...I'm starting to think Shikamaru's right about girls...)_ "Just...hey," she said, suddenly serious. "We're almost there, we better hurry up before anybody comes outside."

Nodding, _(please don't tell me I'm blushing...)_ he followed her dumbly, that same lovesick expression on his face.

"Get some sleep," Naruto ordered, once they were back inside. Not about to protest, Sakura moved towards the couch, but he stopped her incredulously.

"Are you crazy, woman?" he demanded angrily. "Sleep on the bed like you did last night, I'll take the couch!"

Too tired to fight, she relented and crawled into bed, feeling childlike as he pulled the covers over her and turned the light off just like her parents used to do. "Good night, Sakura-chan," her friend murmured, his voice a low rumble in her aching ears. She felt tingles run up and down her spine, and barely remembered to reply.

"Good night, Naruto," she whispered back, not sure if he'd heard her. She closed her eyes and slept...


	4. I Could Get Used To This

**Omelets**

**Chapter Four: **_I Could Get Used To This_

_Click, clack, click, clack._

She was alone in the town, but didn't spare a thought on where everybody might be. Haruno Sakura had bigger fish to fry. Her boots made a satisfying noise as she walked down the street briskly, tossing her long pale rose hair. Her green eyes glinted in the bright sunlight and her smile curved up devilishly. _He doesn't stand a chance,_ she crowed.

Hearing a footstep behind her, she spun around, trying to control her breathing. Not finding the cause of the noise, her eyes scanned for any sign of moment. Another menacingly close step behind her made her turn again. _Is that-_

"Sakura-chaaaaan!"

She muttered a _very_ inappropriate word and sighed. "Naruto, you idiot! Could you leave me alone?"

The blond smiled angelically _(hah, yeah right)_, his blue eyes bright and hair sticking up rather adorably at all angles. "What are you doing, Sakura-chan? I think I did a pretty good job of sneaking up on you, huh?" As if afraid he would offend her, he added, "But you were being real quiet too, Sakura-chan, neh? Who were _you_ trying to sneak up on?"

"Get a life, Naruto," she said childishly. "You're such a pain, I mean it!" _Do you have nothing better to do than stalk me!_ her inner self raged. Then a thought occured to her. "Have you seen Sasuke-kun anywhere?"

He looked put out. "What would you want with that-"

The expression on her face made him shut up. "I was hoping he'd ask me out," she replied primly, not caring if he knew but not really knowing why she told him. "So have you seen him or not?"

Naruto shook his head, back to that annoyingly contagious grin. "Haven't, but if you're bored...and, I mean..." He blushed, looking at his feet. "I mean, we could...go somewhere together...if you want to..."

"Please!" she snarled. "Why would I want to go somewhere with a brat like you? You can't even throw a kunai straight!" With a 'hmph', she swept past him, desperately hoping he wouldn't follow and yet still enjoying the attention. "Sasuke-kuuuun!"

* * *

Sakura was pretending to be asleep quite effectively, breathing deeply in the scent of Naruto, which was a surprisingly pleasant woody scent mixed with the ever-present yet faint scent of ramen. She sighed, rolled over, and her dream came flooding back to her.

She rarely dreamed of memories, so it had surprised her that last night's dream had been a clear, accurate flashback of years before. That had happened right after the formation of Team 7, she realized. _Why was I so mean to him? _

"Sakura-chan?" the voice of the boy from her dream called softly, only now much deeper and (right now) less enthusiastic. He crept inside. "Sakura-chan? Are you awake?"

The girl in question was determined to keep up her appearance of sleep, wanting to know what he'd do. Coming closer, Naruto placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she had to fight the urge to shiver. "Sakura-chan," he murmured. "You have to wake up, you have hospital duty today, right?"

_Oh crap, I forgot about that._ "Naruto?" She opened her eyes slowly, to be meeted with the expected sight of his sunny smile, but the unexpected sight of...a tray of breakfast!

"What? What's that?" she asked, not having to pretend to be drowsy.

As if he'd forgotten it, he glanced down at the tray and smiled bigger. "Breakfast, of course. Sit up," he ordered. She complied, and he placed the food on her lap. "I made omelets again," he said apologetically, "because I didn't know what you liked...but I also gave you some toast. Oh, and an orange. And some juice. You know, a balanced breakfast," he joked.

She smiled at him gratefully. "You didn't have to do that," she scolded gently. "I'm capable of making my own breakfast." Sakura tried to glare at him, but his smile made it impossible, and she looked back down at the food.

"I know, Sakura-chan," he answered happily. "But I like doing stuff for you." Looking behind him, he swore under his breath. "I'm late, I'll see you later!" he called, racing out the door. "Bye!"

"Thank you!" she shouted after him, feeling a little odd. She smiled down at the omelets, in the absence of her friend. "Thank you, Naruto." She sniffled a little _(no crying, Sakura!)_ and dug in.

* * *

With a strange sense of deja vu, the young woman slipped in the window as silently and quickly as possible. _Mission accomplished!_ Sakura congratulated herself silently, pumping her fist and sliding into the kitchen, only to be greeted with-

"NARUTO!" she shrieked, astonished. "I thought you said you were going to be in a conference with Tsunade the whole evening!" _Shannaro! What am I gonna do now?_

He turned around from his task, which she realized was cutting vegetables. His blond spikes were even messier than usual, as if he'd run the whole way home. "I got off early," he said casually, gesturing with the knife.

She pouted, and he frowned. "I was going to do dinner," Sakura grumbled, crossing her arms. Confused, Naruto looked at her. _Why do I feel so light whenever I look into those eyes?_

"How come, Sakura-chan?" he asked, bemused, setting the knife down on the shiny counter. Coming up behind her, the boy _(...I can't really think of him as a man, no matter how hard I try...)_ wrapped his arms around her, in a gesture that didn't exactly indicate friendship and only that, but she let it go. _No need to spoil his mood, right?_ she sighed.

Leaning her head back so she could meet his eyes, _(whoa, maybe that wasn't such a good idea...I feel kinda dizzy...)_, the kunoichi replied sweetly, "You've been doing too much for me."

He laughed softly. "I'm still in your debt for cleaning my house, remember?" he joked. "Don't sweat it, Sakura-chan. Besides, I like cooking!" Sakura giggled and felt her body relax involuntarily as she leaned on him.

Naruto stared down at the girl in his arms _(that's a phrase I don't get to use often...)_, the girl he loved more than anything else. Her soft pink hair tickled his neck as she laughed, brilliant green eyes bright. _Wow..._he thought dreamily, smiling down at her. _She really is something._

"Can I at least help?" Her voice woke him out of his reverie, and it took a few seconds for him to process what she'd said to him. _...I can't believe she's still letting me hold her..._he mused, mind on a completely different subject.

"Uh, sure you can help, Sakura-chan, if you want to," he answered nervously as she seemed to lean even further into him. Daring to hope a little _(what if she actually...wow...I mean, she doesn't seem to be mad...she seems pretty happy, actually..._), the shinobi didn't notice her further petitions about what she could help with _(her voice is so musical when she's being nice...)_ until she sighed and shoved him off.

"Idiot," she muttered, but Naruto was almost positive it was affectionately. _Life is good..._he thought, still dazed, as he tried to cut the vegetables and not his hand. _Life is really good._

After the dishes had been cleaned up, Sakura was relatively (and worrisomely, in Naruto's eyes) quiet, resting on the couch with her head on her hands, eyes closed, expression troubled. Still, he didn't want to disturb her, so he crept quietly over to his "workroom" to try and make a dent in that huge pile of paperwork Tsunade had given him. _I wonder what the hag would think if she knew that her student was living with me,_ he wondered, signing his name absent-mindedly on some form he hadn't even read. He chuckled quietly, imagining the scandalized _(but probably pleased)_ expression on the current Hokage's face.

Leaning out the door, he chanced a look at the girl who wouldn't leave his thoughts. Her good mood seemed to have vanished, replaced with a sour melancholy, and he was a little bit scared that she would catch him glancing at her - _she can go from happy to furious in two seconds flat, ladies and gentlemen, like nothing you've ever seen before!_

She sighed and leaned back, glaring at his ceiling like it had done her some great wrong. She looked so unhappy that he was willing to sacrifice his current uninjured state to see if he could possibly cheer her up. Sense of self-preservation still somewhat intact, he walked quietly and rather nervously into the living room and seated himself on the couch next to her, but not too close. _Or I hope that's not too close._

"Sakura-chan?"

* * *

"Sakura-chan?"

The voice cut through her thoughts, and she started before realizing it came from the object of her reverie. "Oh, Naruto," she sighed, feeling a headache coming on. _I hope he's not too worried about me..._

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" the boy in question asked, sounding concerned.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes - _I know you too well, Naruto -_ and nodded. "I'm...fine..." _It's you that I'm worried about...but I can't...really think very well with this stupid headache, shannaro!_ "I...um...I'm sorry." There. She'd said it. No more proud Haruno Sakura. It needed to be said.

The whole stinking day she'd been thinking about what a jerk she'd been to him before, back when they were younger. He'd done nothing but adore her, and she'd put him down at every opportunity, just because...just because...

That was the thing. Sakura had no clue _why_ she'd been such a jerk to Naruto. She had been fairly nice to everybody else, she thought, but why had she hated him so thoroughly?

Maybe it was because he had been teased and jeered at more than she, and he took it better than a grown man, always keeping that sunny smile on his face. Maybe it was because the other kids that she wanted to fit in with so badly all despised him, although she hadn't known why at the time _(and neither had they)_. Maybe it was

because he had loved her while she had craved someone else's attention, and maybe it was because she had known all along that he was closer to the object of her affections than she ever would be.

"Sorry for what, Sakura-chan?"

She couldn't meet his eyes. _Those same eyes that have watched me all these years._ Right now, she even hated the sound of his voice. _The same voice that cheered me on, that read that stupid sappy love poem to me before we were even genin, the same voice that's comforted me every time I was miserable and that belongs to that same boy I always put down, like the jerk I am._ But she knew he was expecting an answer.

"For being such a jerk to you!" she burst out with, feeling herself begin to tear up. _I don't deserve to cry, he does, he was the one who went through all this crap and I just made it harder for him! And even after I started caring, I can never seem to do anything for him, just small things, just little things that anybody could do and yet he still smiles that infuriatingly perfect smile and says-_

"It's okay, Sakura-chan." His voice was meant to soothe her, but those were exactly the words she didn't want to hear, because it was just more and more proof that he cared, and she didn't _want_ him to care, she didn't _deserve_ his care.

"No, it's not!" she sobbed. "I never did anything positive for you, I crushed your dreams and - God, I was such a-"

She felt those arms wrap around her again, _those arms that protect me and save me and oh no no no why?_ "Why, Naruto?" she nearly shrieked. "I never did anything to deserve this and every time I put you down you just smiled and then came back again every time! I couldn't do anything for you when you were in trouble, and I-I...I'm so useless! I trained, and trained, but I still can't make it right! And-"

"Shh, Sakura-chan," said his voice in her ear, and now she clung to it like a lifeboat, although it was making her sink like an anchor. "Calm down. None of that matters to me, really, Sakura-chan. If anything, you've been more nice to me than I ever deserved."

That complete untruth made her sob harder, and she buried her face in his shirt. "N-no, Nar-"

He tightened his gentle hold on her and she quieted, still sniffling. "You've done so much for me, Sakura-chan. Just seeing your smile gives me the strength to get through another day, and even though I know that...that you don't love me the way I love you, I understand." His voice cracked. "I mean...I'm a monster, Sakura-chan."

Sakura's heart cracked in two, and she pulled away enough to glare at him. "That's not true," she said resolutely, glaring defiantly at him in something resembling a pout. "You are _not_ a monster, Naruto. Don't say that."

"It's true, Sakura-cha-"

"Don't 'Sakura-chan' me, you idiot!" she flared, her eyes burning. "You are not a monster. Say it."

He was silent, his blond hair falling into his face in the absence of his hitai-ate.

"Say it!" she ordered.

"I'm not a monster," Naruto muttered rebelliously, and feeling happier _(does it really not matter to him?)_, she attempted to hug him while they were both sitting on the couch. Since he already had his arm around her protectively, they ended up in a rather awkward position, but it was still comforting, and she wasn't sure that if she didn't let go right then she would ever leave...

"I'm tired," she said suddenly, sliding out of the rather strange position they were in. She stretched and yawned, as if to prove her point. "Umm...good night, I guess." She stood up and began to walk into his room - well, her room now, she supposed.

"Sakura-chan."

She stopped. _He sounds so serious,_ she worried, then turned around. "Mmmhmm?" Sakura replied, trying to sound cheery.

"Thanks," he murmured, hands in his pockets. He looked up and grinned at her, almost so brightly that she couldn't tell he was really touched _(and it looks like he's on the verge of crying, better leave before his delicate pride gets hurt,_ she smirked, all trace of sadness forgotten).

"I was just doing what any friend would do," she replied, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized it was the wrong thing to say, so she just pretended like she didn't notice the look on his face and slipped into the bedroom.

_He's not a monster._


	5. Dirty Little Secret

**Omelets**

**Chapter Five: **_Dirty Little Secret_

She rolled over _(again...)_ and sighed.

Haruno Sakura was by no means an insomniac - usually, exhausted from her medic-nin duties, she passed out immediately. However, and unfortunately for Sakura, tonight was different.

_It's three, and I still haven't gotten to sleep,_ she thought dully, _and there's only three more hours til I gotta be up anyway..._Making a snap decision, she crept out of bed and slid the door open as silently as possible. The kunoichi winced as it creaked, but stole through to the living room quiet as, well, the ninja she was.

Naruto was sleeping on the couch soundly - he'd obviously had no trouble getting to sleep. She smiled at him unconsciously and slipped out onto the fire escape. _Idiot,_ she thought fondly.

Sakura had been living with him for a full week now, and it seemed that nobody even had a suspicion. They were being extra careful, almost paranoid, but still, in a city of shinobi, secrets were rarely secret for long.

She felt more at home here than she ever had with her parents, despite the secrecy. They had plenty of little routines they'd picked up, now (such as Naruto making omelets every morning - it was practically tradition), but life still seemed so much more fresh. Exciting. _Real._

He was a very real person.

_You really find out a lot of things about someone when you live together,_ mused Sakura, her eyes cloudy as she stared into the silent city. _All their little...idiosyncrasies..._She smiled.

For example, she'd never known Naruto was capable of cooking, despite all the missions they'd been on together _(I wonder when he picked that up...)_. She'd also been ignorant of the fact that he woke at four most mornings _(at least I can't call him a lazy bum!)_ to get his training in while the grounds were empty, then he would return and sleep for another couple of hours. She'd been unaware that he loved spaghetti _(he has some passion for noodles, for sure!)_, although that was something rarely found in Konoha, and that he hated cereal, gardened in his spare time _(...I bet Ino would say that's hot...)_, and that he was ever-so-slightly claustrophobic.

_You also tend to spend more time getting to know them willingly._ Sakura knew dozens of things nobody else living knew about Naruto (but Jiraiya-sama had probably known most of them, she reflected). He'd told her about the time he tried to learn to ride a horse in the Water Country, about the many unfortunate guys that tried to pick him up when he was in a (clothed) Oiroke no Jutsu form, and that he'd anonymously given Ino a candy heart on White Day when they were eight. "She was sad that Sasuke didn't give her any chocolate after she showered him with Valentine's gifts, and you turned down my candy, so I put the candy heart on the flower shop counter...and ran like heck," he had recounted, grinning.

She sighed, unable to get that grin out of her head, and returned to bed.

* * *

"You okay, Sakura-chan?"

The green light her hands had been emitting faltered as she yawned. "Okay, Shikamaru, you can leave if you want. I'm fine, Naruto," the medic-nin added, tucking stubborn pink strands of hair behind her ears. "Just...tired." _Or exhausted, more like it. My thoughts barely even make sense..._

Shikamaru stood up and moved to the door. Ino, next in line for treatment, made a noise of protest, and he paused. "You're gonna meet me at seven, _right?_" the blonde asked, flirtily tossing her hair. She didn't give him time to answer before continuing, "Great. I really want to wear that cute new dress I bought, so you better have somewhere nice in mind!"

He sighed. "Yes, ma'am," the jounin replied (sarcastically?), but Sakura noticed he sounded...happy? Content, in the least. _Always knew those two would get together,_ she thought with satisfaction and some amusement. _They're totally made for each other._

As Shikamaru walked off, Sakura was pondering the best way to interrogate Ino about the new relationship - until Naruto's concerned voice broke through her concentration again. "Are you sure?" he persisted, seemingly ignorant of the conversation that had just taken place, and although she knew he was looking, she refused to meet his eyes as she guided chakra into Ino's bloody arm.

"Yes, Naruto, I'm sure," she answered testily. "I didn't get enough sleep last night."

"I know."

She looked at him, momentarily forgetting Ino's presence. "Oh gosh, I didn't wake you up, did I? I really tried to be quiet!"

"Don't-" Naruto paused, and blushed. "Um...Sakura-chan...?"

Sakura felt two pairs of blue eyes on her, and swallowed. _Cuh-rap. Um...um...umumum..._"It's not what you think-" she began hastily, the flow of chakra from her hands fading as she struggled to come up with an excuse.

"Well, that depends on what she's thinking, doesn't it?" a male voice cut in, suddenly smug. His eyes glinted with mischief - he knew he had her cornered, and she knew he loved nothing more than a good prank. _Daaaang you, Uzumaki Naruto._

Sakura gritted her teeth, ignoring Ino's half-curious, half-shocked stare. _And I know just what _you're_ thinking, Yamanaka Ino._ "We're. _Just. Friends,"_ she growled.

"That's not what you told me," Naruto interjected, pouting.

_Oh, he's gonna get it._ "I wouldn't-" she stumbled on her words, trying not to give him an opening. _He's more clever than most people give him credit for - unfortunately._ "I wouldn't...be...like..._that_ - to anybody I wasn't, you know, uh, married to..." _This is so embarassing. I am _going_ to kill him...as soon as I explain this to Ino..._

"I'm not afraid of commitment, you know, Sakura-chan," the annoyance hinted. "I've _always_ wanted to get married and-"

She slugged him and opened the door. "Out!" Sakura ordered.

"What about my wounds? Surely a medic-nin wouldn't let a patient walk off before-" he protested weakly.

"You'll live," she snapped, slamming the door in his _stupid_ face, and returning to Ino, who quickly wiped a diabolical grin off of her face.

"So...you and Naru-" the blonde girl began, smiling angelically.

"No!" Sakura corrected loudly. "Look," she began, trying to calm down. "I had a-a problem, with my parents, so I'm staying with him. Just until I find a place to live, you know."

"Aww," Ino pouted, batting her eyelashes dramatically. "I was _hoping_ you two _finally_ realized how perfect you are for each other. Or, well, that _you_ realized," she added under her breath.

"Shut up," her pinkette best friend muttered. _Why does everybody seem to think- _She suddenly realized that she had ammunition against Ino as well, thanks to the conversation she'd witnessed earlier."Speaking of perfect for each other, what's going on with you and Shikamaru?" she prompted, glad to change the subject.

The kunoichi didn't even blush. "Yeah, we got it together - I mean...I guess I kinda always knew he had his eye on me, and he's pretty cute, you know. Now that that sand vamp is outta the way..." She shrugged. "I figured I might as well give him a shot."

Sakura smiled at Ino's attempt at nonchalance. "You two make such a cute couple," she giggled. _I'm surprised it took them this long, honestly. Temari and Shikamaru broke up two whole years ago, seriously!_

Ino grinned. "I know, right? And he can be really sweet..."

"I'm happy for you," the medic said sincerely.

"So how come you aren't with Naruto? Everybody knows he's liked you since we were, like, eight - and you're over Sasuke, right? Why not give him a chance?"

"Well-" Sakura began, completely unsure what to say _(well...it's because he-...well, I-...we-...it's just not-...uhhh...)_, but she was rescued by a loud knock on the door, courtesy of the object of their conversation.

"Sakura-chan?"

She sighed, half from relief. "Be right there!" she called, then added to Ino, "Don't tell anybody, I'm serious."

When she _finally_ opened the door, Naruto held out a dripping ice cream cone _(Sorry, sorry Sakura-chan! It's not my fault you took so long it started melting!)_, identical to the one in his other hand. "I'm very, very, _very_ sorry," he apologized dramatically.

Sakura relieved him of the treat and...smiled! _(Yes, score one for Naruto! Oh yeah! I'm just _so _smooth, that's me, Naruto the charmer-)_ "I forgive you, I guess," she teased, licking the ice cream.

Tsunade just _happened_ to catch this bit of dialogue as the two made their way out:

"I knew you couldn't resist ice cream, just like you can't resist me - OWW! Hey, what was that about?"

"Idiot! Now everyone's staring!"

"How is that _my_ fault? Maybe if you didn't _abuse_ me so much?"

"..."

"...you didn't hit me."

"..."

"...really, I don't mind Sakura-chan! Don't ignore me! I know you only hit me and call me stupid cause you love me-OWW..."

"...idiot."

"...you must love me a _lot_, huh?"


	6. Things I'll Never Say

_Omelets_

**Chapter Six: **_Things I'll Never Say_

She smiled at him - such a small gesture, and yet it means so much to him.

He smiled back - she felt her heart flutter wildly, as if she'd caged a bird in it.

They could be any young couple in love, showing all the signs of romance - staring into each other's eyes fervently, speaking softly to one another, but they were certainly not an ordinary duo.

The pair were highly skilled shinobi; one, a near-famous medic-nin and powerful kunoichi, and the other, container of Kyuubi Kitsune and future Hokage. Also, unfortunately, they were not a couple.

Yet.

"Let's go out," Naruto said suddenly, when they reached the sunny outdoors.

"We're _already_ out," his female companion pointed out, rolling her eyes at her "friend".

"I mean, out to eat," the blond shinobi clarified, blue eyes shining as he turned to face her and the setting sun. "Like a date." _Not that again!_

"Except not," Sakura corrected. She crunched the remains of the ice cream cone and smiled rather shyly. _I wouldn't mind going out to eat, though...even if it's..._

Her friend refused to be put out, despite her protest. "Okay, okay - but, so, where do you wanna go, then? It's not a date, I promise!"

The kunoichi's green eyes glinted strangely in the light as she pondered her response. _Well, might as well...I mean..._"Ichiraku's?" she suggested, laughing softly so as to mask her nervousness.

Naruto looked at her. "Wh-what? Did...wait, did you just-"

Sakura sighed and grabbed his arm. _You'd think I never did anything nice for him!_ she thought with some exasperation. "You're paying, though," she muttered, tugging him along.

Naruto had to smile as his very favorite girl dragged him into his very favorite restaurant. _It's like a really really good dream!_ he marvelled. Sakura caught his eye and grinned. "We're here." Awkwardly, she dropped his arm as they seated themselves at the bar. _...Aww, I kinda liked that..._

"Naruto!" Teuchi boomed, smiling. "My favorite customer! And I see you brought your girlfriend, the lovely 'Sakura-chan', if I'm not mistaken?" He winked, and the boy grinned.

_What could be better, on a date with - _Sakura shoved him. "Is it _always_ up to _me_ to tell people that _WE'RE NOT A COUPLE?_" she growled, and he cringed away.

The blond scratched the back of his head. _Sakura-chan will be Sakura-chan, _he thought, resigned to his fate as forever being her punching bag. "She only hits me 'cause she loves me," he explained to the amused shopowner.

"Idiot," she muttered, but this time she harmlessly smiled and Naruto could swear he saw a hint of affection in her eyes.

Teuchi chuckled. "Have to watch those kunoichi, my boy - so, what can I get you tonight, hmm?"

"My usual miso, for starters, and..." He glanced at Sakura. _I can't believe she suggested here...we've changed a lot in the past few years, I guess._

The pretty pinkette shrugged. "Um, the seafood special ramen, I guess." He noticed that she was watching him from the corner of her eye, and he wondered suddenly if he'd done something wrong. _She didn't want me to order for her, right? She usually hates when I do that..._

"What's wrong?" the ramen addict asked, suddenly worried.

She smiled. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong at all."

_...I will _never _understand girls._

_

* * *

_

Sakura stared at the town, still bustling although it was getting late - ninjas didn't have a bedtime, after all. A gentle breeze tickled her rose locks and she sensed Naruto behind her. "I'm not ready to go yet," she sighed, knowing what he was going to ask. "I could stay out here forever, it's so nice...pretty..."

He made a quiet noise of agreement. "I know a place that's even prettier, um - we could go there, if you don't want to stay in town." _I can feel his breath...why do I keep feeling like I'm falling through the air?_

"Okay," she found herself allowing, this time letting herself be led. He looked back and smiled brightly, his clear sky eyes crinkling and whisker marks twitching as he did so, and the kunoichi felt her heart do a backflip.

When they entered the woods, he covered her eyes with a gentle hand, and Sakura had to rely on him to warn her of obstacles - but she usually tripped over them anyway. _Oww...I think I just ripped my skirt...where are you taking me?_

"Want me to carry you?" Naruto offered after she tripped again, and she didn't have to see his face to know his expression.

"No, thank you," she said primly, trying to walk more carefully.

Finally, he stopped, causing her to almost tumble into him. _I'm so clumsy tonight!_ she thought in despair. "We're here," he murmured, his voice suddenly quieter and richer as he uncovered her eyes.

She blinked. The clearing was high upon a hill, with a perfect view of the stars above and the village below. Sakura gasped in delight. "It's so nice up here!" she cried, grinning like a little kid.

Naruto shrugged, seating himself on the grassy floor. "I come up here sometimes. To think, you know. It's kinda fun to look down at the village." _I never would have guessed - even after all this time, I guess I don't give him enough credit..._

She smoothed some grass down and sat next to him. Stumbling over her words, she muttered, "Uh, thank you..." _I'm blushing, aren't I?_

"Anything for you, Sakura-chan," he replied with a blinding grin.

_Am I dreaming?_ Naruto wondered as his flower smiled back at him. _...I'm really glad she can't read minds, or I would be dead by now if she caught me thinking of her like that..._

"What do you think about?"

His head jerked up as he struggled to register her question _(that's not easy when she's smiling like that at me)_. "Oh, um. You know. Stuff." _That's _sure _to impress her, Naruto. Very intelligent._

Sakura regarded him curiously. "You don't want to tell me?" she asked, sounding slightly hurt.

He cursed mentally. "You," he blurted without thinking. "Um. I mean, you know, our team, the way stuff used to be, Sasuke, being Hokage, the future..." He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. _I'm dead..._

"Oh," she said, thoughtfully. "You've changed a lot, you know? You're a lot more mature than you let on."

He reddened. "Really?" Naruto tried to sound nonchalant, but had a feeling he was failing horribly. _She thinks I'm mature? That's good, right?_

Sakura didn't seem to notice. "Mm-hmm. Or maybe you were always like this...and I...never really noticed." She smiled, rather sadly, and he felt a sudden urge to make her happy again.

"Sakura-chan," he began, having no clue what he was going to say, but she cut him off with an over-large yawn.

"Mmm...I'm sleepy." She yawned widely again, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

_Wait...what? She..._

"Sakura-chan-" he stopped talking when she adjusted herself to get as many benefits from his shoulder as possible. _What's she doing?_

"Shh...you make a good pillow, Naruto," she sighed, and her eyes fluttered closed.

* * *

Sakura felt rather odd. She didn't remember her bed being this bumpy, or...moving?

"Naruto?" She yawned and stretched as much as possible. "Why are you carrying me?" _Not that I really mind...bad Sakura! _

"Hey, sleepyhead." The blond ninja grinned down at her. "You fell asleep on me, remember? I didn't think you just wanted me to leave you out there, somehow." He laughed.

_I can even feel the strength in those arms - I'm completely safe. Wow, where did _that _thought come from? I'm a ninja, I can protect myself!_ "Hmm?" She struggled to remember. "I did?"

The trees passed by, and she watched them lazily. "Hey, put me down!" she protested suddenly, blushing furiously. _What if somebody saw us?_

"Fine, fine," Naruto grumbled, stopping and setting her down gently. "Spoil my fun, why don't you."

She glared at him, shoving him away. "I don't even want to know why that's fun."

He pouted and shoved her back. "I felt like one of the heroes in one of Ero-sennin's books, you know," he continued grandly. Her eye twitched. _WHAT? YOU FREAK!_

"YOU READ THOSE?" she shrieked, pushing him so hard he fell into the river, then realized what she'd done. "Oh! Naruto! Sorry!"

The ninja was already climbing out, completely soaked. "Jeez, Sakura-chan, take a joke," he muttered sourly, trying to wring out his black shirt. His hair flopped into his face.

"I'm so sorry!" Sakura wailed. "Come on, you're gonna get sick!" She grabbed his arm and started towing him home.

"And whose fault would that be, huh?" he accused. She blushed.

"Yours, for reading those..." _I can't think of any way to phrase that..._

"It was a joke, Sakura-chan! Hey! Oww! I only read part of one, and it was boring as-"

"NARUTO!"


	7. Never Stop

_Omelets_

**Chapter Seven: **_Never Stop_

Uzumaki Naruto was rather confused, but he knew one thing - it was _swelteringly_ hot. _I feel like my skin is on fire - what the - what's going on here? _

"I knew it," a too-loud voice wailed. He cringed at the volume. _Hang on, I know that voice...wow...I can't think at all right now..._ "You're sick, aren't you?" _Sick? Me? Is she...crazy..._

A pleasantly cool hand felt his forehead. "Naruto, you're burning up!" the voice scolded. "Hey! I saw you open your eyes!"

Even his eyes seemed hot as he gazed at a very cross Sakura-chan. _Still as beautiful as ever,_ the boy thought dreamily. "I...I don't feel all that great," he croaked with some effort. _That's an understatement..._

The green-eyed angel smiled sympathetically. "You don't look it, either," she sighed, brushing hair from his feverish forehead ever-so-gently. _That feels wonderful_. "I'm really sorry."

"For..." he tried to clear his throat. "Mmm, for what, Sakura-chan?"

"If I hadn't pushed you in the river, you'd be fine," she murmured, fidgeting with a lock of his blond hair.

"Mm-mm...maybe. But I probably deserved it," he joked, smiling crookedly. _I don't want her to feel bad..._

"Oh, I know you deserved it." She looked at him, obviously concerned. "Do you think you can move? I think you should get in your bed, and I'll go get you some anti-biotics, okay?"

He nodded and sat up. _Whatever you say, Sakura-chan._ Naruto smiled after her. "Thanks!" he called as an after-thought.

* * *

Sakura was busying herself fixing medicine and food for her friend and patient when she heard a sharp knock at the door. "Who's that?" she thought aloud. _Nobody ever comes over here - thankfully!_

She opened the door only to be greeted by a very familiar face - well, of the little she could see of it. His one visible eye glinted, and his silver-white hair was in just as much disarray as usual. "Kakashi-sensei! Um, good morning!" She smiled brightly and somewhat nervously, hoping he wouldn't pick up on the second emotion.

"Sakura! I wasn't expecting to see you here. You're not drugging Naruto, are you?" He glanced down at the bottle in her hand.

"He's sick," the medic-nin explained briefly with a sigh.

"Oh, that explains why he's so late. Tsunade-sama," Kakashi grimaced, "had some stuff for him to do, but since he's sick...oh, right, I _do_ need to tell him something though. Can I-" _No, you can't!_

"He's asleep," Sakura cut in, heart pounding. In her mind's eye she envisioned the bedroom in its current state - closet door ajar, revealing clothes definitely not Naruto's, hair stylings and hairbrush arranged neatly on the stand. If he went in-

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto sounded congested. "Who was at the door?" _Perfect, perfect timing, _she thought sarcastically.

Reluctantly, Sakura followed Kakashi through the hall and living room. The older man peeked in the bedroom, grinning. "Yo!" _Maybe he won't notice?_

"Kakashi-sensei!" she heard Naruto exclaim, and caught the hint of nervousness in his voice. _If I stay, it'll seem more suspicious, so I'll just go finish getting Naruto's breakfast and medicine..._the medic-nin decided, hurrying back to the kitchen.

When she returned to the bedroom, Kakashi was saying, "I'm sure Tsunade won't be happy about this; but even shinobi get sick." The man grinned. "At least you have _Sakura-chan_ to nurse you."

The kunoichi mustered a severe glare as she set Naruto's food down. "Sensei..."

"Shutting up, shutting up," he said hastily.

As he left, she followed him again. "Take care, Kakashi-sensei!" _I can't believe he didn't notice! Sensei, you call yourself a ninja? You're a total moron!_

He turned and smiled, hand on the door. "You too, Sakura-chan. Oh, and by the way, not meaning to be nosy...but how long have you two been living together?" Kakashi smirked.

Her cheeks burned. _Spoke too soon,_ she thought wryly. "I, um, I mean, we-" Sakura mumbled. "I-it's not like that, don't get the wrong idea! It's just...I needed...distance, from my family, and it ended up working out, and..." _Lame excuse - and it's the truth!_

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, trying to look innocent. "And what 'wrong idea' would I get, hmmm?" _You're really starting to tick me off..._

She fixed an intense glare on him. "You know," Sakura growled.

"Oh, are you saying that you and Naruto could-"

"..."

She didn't need to say anything. "I'm leaving, I'm leaving! Behave yourselves!"

Sakura slammed the door behind him and sighed. _Great. Just great._


	8. No Air

_Omelets_

**Chapter Eight: **_No Air_

In a bedroom somewhere in Konoha, Haruno Sakura sighed and stared at the ceiling. _The last few days have been a blur,_ she mused. _Naruto got better_...

Her thoughts stopped there. _Naruto._ A smile tugged at her lips as she thought of the blond shinobi. He'd been on her mind a lot lately, and she wasn't sure why exactly that was. Sure, they were living together for the sake of convenience, but they were just friends...

Anyway, thanks to the Kyuubi's healing powers (and she'd like to think, her own medical knowledge), he was basically well by the next day - but Sakura still ordered a few more days of rest. Surprisingly, he'd complied with only a few complaints, but he still insisted on getting up at the break of dawn and making omelets for her before she went to the hospital.

Some things would never change.

Naruto was going on a mission the next day; officially, so that Suna could welcome the soon-to-be new Hokage, but actually so he could spend time with Gaara and check up on him. Sakura supposed that was a good thing - like jinchuriki bonding time? - but he didn't know how long he'd be gone, and communications between Suna and Konoha were hard to come by. He was going alone - how would she know if he got hurt?

_Maybe,_ she reflected, _I'm just avoiding the truth._

_I'll miss him.

* * *

_

Naruto sighed, and wondered if he'd be considered hopeless just because he knew just how many hours it had been since he'd last seen Sakura.

_We've been so much closer lately,_ he thought, unpacking the things he'd need for his stay. He'd just arrived in Suna that day, since it had taken three days to reach the village - he had to say that travelling on his own was lonely, more lonely than he'd thought it would be. Maybe that was also because of his recent closeness to Sakura.

_I should have asked her to come with me...but I know that she's busy enough..._

Missing her wasn't unfamiliar to him - just thinking of his training with Jiraiya was enough to remember the pain he'd felt. But this was different, stronger, a cutting sort of pain, and the feeling of loss from what had been cut out.

It felt like it'd been his heart.

Two and a half days without her now was worse than two and a half years before. What had changed?

He had to admit, the way she'd been acting lately was almost enough to give him a flicker of...hope. Hope that maybe, someday, they could -

_No._

Naruto couldn't go there. He couldn't let himself think that there was even the slightest possibility of anything like a romantic relationship with Sakura-chan..._(and yet a little voice in his head said that there was already something like a relationship)_ -

"It's hopeless," he said aloud, trying to force himself to accept something he thought he'd accepted a long time ago - his love was and forever would be unrequited. He'd thought about confessing a few times, sure.

But then he'd think of _Sasuke._

The way she'd say _his_ name was so, so _special_ - "Sasuke-kun!", like she was savoring the taste of it, like she delighted in being able to talk to him. She'd never say his name like that.

The way she'd cry rivers of tears for _him_ - she'd never really cry for him like that.

The way she'd have a little smile on her face around _him,_ the way she'd giggle a little to herself, or the way she used to say, "For Sasuke-kun!"...she wouldn't do those things for him.

He could just sit here and wait like he was doomed to, because she was never going to suddenly fall in love with him. And why would she? Why would he deserve to have someone as perfect and beautiful as Sakura..._love him?_

"It's not going to happen."

No, he was destined (even though he _hated_ that word!), destined to live out the rest of his days longing for her and missing her - after all, they couldn't live together forever. _What's going to happen? Will she-_

Naruto heard a knock on his door. "Come in!" he called, trying to sound cheery. Gaara entered, closing the door softly behind him.

They looked at each other - Gaara looked like if he had an eyebrow, he'd be raising it. "I heard you," he said quietly, calmly, as he usually spoke.

Naruto gulped and laughed. "Haha, yeah, just, you know, giving myself a little pep talk."

The Kazekage looked even more skeptical. "I thought you said nothing was hopeless. 'Don't underestimate me...I won't back down'." His tone was almost accusatory, like a child whose hero had let them down.

Naruto grimaced. "Yeah, well...Sakura-chan falling in love with me is something I gave up on a long time ago." _Is this really true?_

"Why?"

"Because..." the blond thought for a second. "She loves Sasuke, still. And even if she didn't, she wouldn't love me. I mean..." _I'm a monster,_ he finished silently.

"Because you're...a jinchuriki?"

Naruto bit his lip. "I-I don't know. I don't think she'd judge me for that. I'm just not good enough for her. And she's not in love with me. No big deal." He laughed, nervously.

"Don't give up."

Gaara's eyes met Naruto's, firmly. It wasn't encouragement. It was more like an order, a command. _Don't give up - or else, huh?_

The blond boy looked away first. "I won't," he murmured, a smile tugging on his lips.

* * *

Sakura hummed a rather melancholy tune as she took a cup of instant ramen out of the cupboard and ripped the plastic off. _How many of these have I eaten while he's been gone?_ she wondered vaguely, pulling on the tab. _And how long will I have to keep this up until he gets back? It's already been a week..._

She heard feet outside and froze, reaching instinctively for her kunai inconspicuously with one hand while she pretended to keep fixing her-

"Sakura-chan?"

His voice was cautious, gentle, sounding as if he didn't know if she'd be there - she savored the sound of it.

"Naruto," she breathed, pouring all of her feelings into those three syllables. "You're back!" Sakura spun around and hugged him impulsively, before noticing that he was weighed down with at least two more bags than he'd left with and boxes in each hand. He laughed, a purely joyful sound, and she smiled at him. _Is it normal for me to miss him this much?_

"I-I missed you," he said breathlessly as he put down his packages. "Oh, and I brought takeout! I figured we needed a reward, huh? You've probably been working yourself too hard without me here to keep an eye on you, right?"

She giggled. "I've been fine, really! I missed you too."

Naruto grinned, and then noticed the cup she was still holding. "Sakura-chan...? You were eating...ramen?"

Her cheeks flushed. "I-I...well, maybe just a _little_ bit...you know, I didn't have time to cook and all..." He just smiled, and she had a creeping feeling that he knew the truth.

After they ate, Sakura got up to put the boxes away when Naruto caught her up in his arms. "I owe you a hug from earlier," he murmured, and the increasingly familiar feeling of belonging and something else she couldn't name swept over her as she wrapped her arms around him.

She breathed in deeply and felt her heart pound. He was nice and warm, and she'd begun to associate his smell with "home". It was only a few seconds until he let her go, but it felt like at least several years. The thought scared her, but she had to admit...

_I didn't want to let go._


	9. Her Diamonds

_Omelets_

**Chapter Nine: **_Her Diamonds_

She slipped down the streets, barely noticed the people who greeted her or brushed by her - she was a kunoichi. She had an objective, and she was determined to achieve it.

Her target? Haruno Sakura.

The female ninja glanced down a side alley - no Sakura. She tugged at her ponytail of pale blonde hair - _where else could Billboard Brow be?_, Yamanaka Ino wondered, blinking her big blue eyes. _She's on duty -_

_Oh!_ A flash of pink hair made Ino swivel around to catch the retreating figure of her "target" passing through the crowd. The blonde kunoichi tore after her friend, shoving through hordes of people who stopped and stared.

"Hey! Forehead!" Ino called, hoping she'd attract Sakura's attention.

The other girl paused, turned - grimaced in recognition. "Hey, Ino-pig."

Ino ignored her. "Wanna, I don't know, grab lunch?" _That's right, be purposefully vague and casual..._

The pink-haired kunoichi rolled her eyes. "Sure, why not. You pick. Can't be long, though, I have to get -"

"Good," she interrupted approvingly. "C'mon, let's go." She grabbed the other girl's arm and dragged her off through the crowd.

_Ino never just invites me for lunch,_ Sakura thought, glancing at her chattering friend suspiciously. _She _always _has an ulterior motive...but what could it be this time? It's been months since her birthday..._and _Shikamaru's birthday..._

After they sat down, it appeared that Ino couldn't hold in what she'd been bursting to ask Sakura about.

"So, what's going on with you and Naruto?" the blonde asked excitedly, leaning forward conspiratorially. _Should have known,_ the pinkette groaned inwardly. _The pig's obsessed with match-making._

"Nothing's 'going on'," Sakura muttered. "Really. So...how did you and Shikamaru get together, anyway? You still haven't told me."

Ino beamed. "Well, I started feeling...different, towards him, you know? I'm not really sure when it started, but I started getting all...tingly and happy and _nervous_ around him. And when he was gone, like on missions? I was absolutely _miserable_. He was gone for a couple of weeks, and I'd go every day to that meadow where he watches the clouds and just lay there and wonder what he was doing. When he came back...I decided I should tell him how I felt and...he's felt the same way for awhile. We've been dating since," she giggled.

Sakura felt a pang of jealousy. _I'm happy for her...but I have to admit that I wish-_

"So," Ino said militantly, suddenly all-business. "Tell me. Exactly. Everything that's happened between you and Naruto. I want _details_, Forehead!"

Her stomach turned - not in a disgusted way, but more...nervous. She gulped. _I hope I'm not getting sick..._"Um...nothing. He just got back from a mission last night." _Maybe that'll get her off my back._

Sakura was not so lucky. The other girl's eyes lit up as she gasped, "What happened? How long was he gone? How much did you miss him? Where'd he go? Did he go with anybody else? Was it a girl? Did he bring you anything back? Did he tell you about-"

The kunoichi held up a hand to silence her friend, and sighed. "He was gone to the Sand...for about a week. Nobody went with him. He didn't bring me a present - why would he? Besides, he was there on...business." Sakura remembered at the last minute not to mention the looming Hokage ceremony - the announcements would be sent out soon, anyway.

Ino raised an eyebrow. "So, are you going to admit you missed him? What'd you do while he was gone, eat ramen every day?"

Sakura felt her cheeks become red, and for a minute she forgot to breathe. Her friend stared at her with a mixture of shock and amusement. "You've got it _bad_," Ino murmured approvingly. "Think of all the carbs you consumed! It's a wonder your thighs aren't as big as your forehead, Billboard Brow!"

The pink-haired kunoichi shook herself out of her little trance and snapped, "Oh, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you, _Pig?_"

The blonde smirked. "At least I'd never stuff my-"

_No! She promised she'd never mention that! Lying pig!_

Sakura shoved her hand in front of Ino's _(ridiculously huge, annoying!)_ mouth. "That was only one time," she hissed angrily. _Shannaro! Stupid porker!_ Inner Sakura snarled, her eyes blazing. "Do you want me to show Shikamaru the photo of you at your 13th birthday party?"

The other girl's mouth dropped open. "Not the super-triple-chocolate sundae picture! You wouldn't!"

"Oh, I would," she threatened. "Especially if you breathe a word of the...the stuffing incident to-"

Sakura paused, and Ino grinned. "Oh, I won't tell your _boyfriend_, _Naruto_," she said loudly, winking, before lowering her voice. "As long as Shikamaru _never_ sees that picture, okay, Forehead?"

_...Shannaro.

* * *

_

Uzumaki Naruto was currently wondering what he'd done wrong this time; when Sakura came home, her pretty pink hair was windswept, her green eyes were focused, and when she accidentally collided with him, she blushed a severe red. He shook his head. _I'll never understand girls_, he lamented silently, _especially not Sakura-chan._

She didn't seem like she was angry - more _flustered_, and that didn't compute in Naruto's head, especially when it seemed for some reason that he was part of the equation. _Okay, so...she was normal when she left...then I left...then I came back...then she came back...and now she's blushing and acting weird, so..._

_So I have no clue what's going on._

Naruto was used to not understanding things, but this - this had to do with _Sakura-chan_, and she might be _upset_, and so he knew that it was vital that he understood what was wrong and try to fix it. The best way to do so, he considered, had to be to find her.

He found her sitting in her room, legs crossed, hands wound together nervously, looking quite adorably confused. He cleared his throat quietly, but she took no notice, staring firmly at her hands. He tried again, this time with speech. "S-Sakura-chan?" he asked cautiously.

She looked up, and for a second a completely undecipherable look crossed her face, before it softened to gentle confusion and relief. She seemed unable to talk, and merely patted a space on the bed next to her.

Naruto crossed the room gingerly and sat, trying not to do anything to anger her, as she smiled at him _(an angelic smile_, he thought, rather love-dazed). "Sakura-chan," he started again, but she held a finger to her lips and shook her head.

After a minute, he realized she had started crying silently. He looked at her, wondering what lines he could cross, then decided he really didn't care _(and maybe she won't either)_. Impulsively, he wrapped his arms around her and started stroking her hair, letting her sob into his shoulder.

_I still don't know what's wrong_.

She wiped her eyes and sniffled a few more times before quieting. "I-I'm sorry-"

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Sakura-chan," he said truthfully. "But...what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Sakura shook her head vehemently, then let it drop. "I-I don't know." She was shaking, he noticed, and he tightened his hold on her.

"I don't _know_," she repeated, starting to cry again. "I don't know, I-I DON'T KNOW!" She was screaming now, in exasperation, in confusion, and he wanted more than anything to comfort her, to make it all better, but he didn't know what to do when he didn't even know what was wrong.

Naruto stared at her helplessly as she buried her head in his shoulder. "Shh, Sakura-chan, it'll be okay-"

"No!" She suddenly pushed him away. "No, I-I have to do this...myself. I have to- I'm sorry, Naruto, I'm sorry..."

And as she cried, not letting him hold her, he wished she would have told him what was wrong.


	10. Fallin' For You

_Omelets_

**Chapter Ten: **_Fallin' For You_

"Tsunade-baa-chan!" Uzumaki Naruto pounded on the Hokage's door impatiently, shoving his spiky hair out of his eyes. "Open up!" He tried the door - it was locked.

_Come on, old lady!_ he thought, annoyed. _Don't call me over here before breakfast and then not even let me in!_ He bit his lip, and starting knocking again. "Tsunade-baa-chan? What, are you asleep?"

"Shizune, please open the door for the brat," a piercing female voice cut in, and he sighed in relief.

"It's about time!" he called, grinning in spite of himself. _The hag will never change, hmm?_

The black-haired woman opened the door, apologizing for the Hokage's lack of manners, but Naruto shrugged it off. "She's just an ornery old lady, neh, Shizune-nee-chan?" he asked affectionately, making a face at the older woman.

Tsunade made a "hmph" noise and growled, "Well, the papers are all set out, so I hope you're ready to handle the responsiblity."

It took the blond shinobi a minute to realize her meaning. "You-you...wait. I..." His eyes widened slowly, until you could see completely around his once-drowsy blue irises. "The...the Hokage papers?" he managed to say.

The woman nodded, and he let out a loud whoop. "I-I - YES! Thank you, Tsunade-baa-chan! You're not as mean as I thought! In fact, I think you're even looking younger!" He danced over to her and lifted her out of her chair in a huge hug.

He released her, and she brushed herself off with a sour expression, but it softened. "If there's anybody who deserves it, it's you," she said gently, reaching up on her tiptoes and kissing him on the forehead. She "hmph"ed again.

"I'm not old, you just grow up too quickly," she grumbled. "I remember when I had to lean down to kiss you on the forehead, you bratty beansprout. Now get outta my office - it's not yours yet. Go take Sakura out for breakfast or something and tell her the news."

Naruto grinned. "I'll do just that as soon as I get home!" he vowed, moving towards the door _(I can't wait to tell her! I wonder what she'll say-)_, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

Tsunade had a smirk on her face. "By the way, what's going on between you two? You've been pretty close lately - not to mention, Sakura's been a lot happier."

The blond blinked, confused. "She has? She was..." he glanced down, "mad at me last night, I think. I don't know what I did, either..." He frowned. "I better get on home."

Again, Tsunade stopped him. "Listen," she said seriously. "I know that you're in love with her, so I probably don't need to tell you this. But it's my duty anyway, as her master." A smile traced her lips as she went on. "You treat her badly in any way, and you'll have broken more bones than you knew you had. She doesn't need any crap from you."

Naruto nodded solemnly. "I know, baa-chan. I think she'd break them first, though," he joked, before growing serious again. "I promise. I really do...love her." His voice cracked with emotion. _More than I could possibly tell you,_ he added silently, feeling a pang in his heart.

"I know."

Their eyes met.

"I know."

She shoved him away, suddenly. "Go take your girlfriend out and tell her, then," she ordered. "And don't think that you'll be changing a lot of stuff as soon as you get in here, either! Oh, and you'll need a nice suit for the ceremony. You'll need to be ready and here by ten sharp tomorrow!"

"Yes ma'am," Naruto muttered, pushing the door open and waving to Shizune. "Bye, Shizune-nee-chan! Thanks again, baa-chan!"

He wandered outside, where the sun was just beginning to emerge, and he could see the faces of the previous Hokages up on the mountain illuminated. A chill went up his spine. "Thank you," he murmured, not sure who he was talking to. "Thank you, so much. I...I hope my father'd be proud of me, if he were here." Minato's eyes seemed to be looking straight at his son.

"I think he is," Naruto mused, before turning and walking down the street. He broke into a run. "Yes! _Hokage!_"

* * *

When Sakura woke up, pink hair messy, wandered in the living room, and noticed Naruto was gone, she felt a pang of worry, then one of guilt. Had he gone somewhere because of her? What if he didn't want to live with her anymore, with her being such an emotional wreck? _I've gone and screwed up everything, and just when -_

She suddenly felt a compulsion to get _out_, away from these memories and the overpowering sense of _Naruto_ around the place - it was too much, she wasn't ready for this! She ran, not knowing why, into her closet, grabbed the first clothing she laid her hands on, and changed quickly, tying her hair back sloppily.

_Well, it'll have to do_, she thought, studying herself in the mirror before sneaking a few concealed weapons onto her person and slipping out the window. When she hit the streets, she started running again.

_I need to - to get away, I need to gather my thoughts, I need to sort out this whole...this whole _thing _that I don't understand_ -

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by physical contact - she'd run into someone. Dazed, she looked up into a pair of brown eyes and a head full of messy hair the same shade. The man she'd crashed into flashed his signature grin, then cocked his head to the side. "Watch where you're going, Sakura!" he laughed.

"Sorry, Kiba," she murmured, trying to push past him. She had nothing against Kiba - they got along well, although he was rather annoyingly loud _(although wasn't Naruto, and he was the whole cause for these strange-)_, but she didn't feel like communicating with humans at the moment.

He held out a hand as if to stop her. "Wait, Sakura," he said in a concerned tone, his voice softer. "I-I have to talk to you about something."

She met his eyes, confused. "What is it?" she asked. _What could Kiba possibly need to discuss with me? We don't work in the same fields, we don't have any scheduled missions together..._

"Just- I'll explain when we get there," he muttered hastily, glancing around. "Come on...please?"

Sakura complied, and followed him through the streets until he opened the door to a small cafe that she'd never stepped foot in. Inside, it was slightly musty, but comfortable, although the chairs were anything but.

She shifted in her seat, hoping desperately that nobody would see her there - how would she explain what looked like a date with Kiba? _Actually, how is he going to explain it?_ "So, what is it?"

He started, as if his mind was elsewhere. "Oh - right. Sorry. Um...well, the thing is...first of all, I have a message." Kiba avoided her eyes, studying the carpet as if it were something incredibly interesting.

"A message?" the kunoichi replied, frowning. "To me? From who?"

He glanced back up with her with his strangely canine eyes, then it was back to the carpet. "Your mother," he said without emotion.

Sakura choked on her tea. She dabbed at her mouth and attempted to regain her dignity, but her eyes were watering. "My - what did she say?"

Kiba met her eyes now, and she felt a chill, as if he were giving her the cold shoulder. In a carefully calculated tone, he explained, "She said that if I could find you, I should tell you that she wants to see you again, but she's still unhappy with you, especially after she found out...where you were living."

Sakura bit her lip. "With Naruto," she supplied dully, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her chest. _I need to find him, talk to him, apologize, _her heart screamed, but she pushed those feelings aside.

"So it's true?" the man asked, looking back at the carpet.

The pink-haired woman arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, why? I guess it's not much of a secret anymore...but why does it matter?"

"So..." he hedged, looking around nervously, "so I guess that means...you're definitely _together_..."

Sakura held a hand up. "N-no," she stammered, suddenly losing her ability to speak. She cleared her throat. "We're living together out of convenience, not...romance. But..." she blushed, before stopping that thought. _Not going to go there, shannaro!_

"Oh. Because...I mean...I needed to know...because...of...Hinata," he muttered, his tanned face becoming red, although he tried to hide it. A shock of realization went through Sakura. _He's in love with her, why didn't I notice it before?_

"Ohhhh," she breathed. "You...and...and she...loves...augh," she muttered, burying her face in her hands. "Everything is too complicated."

Kiba regarded her with an unreadable expression, still red. She lifted her head up again. "You love her," she murmured, suddenly feeling a rush of sympathy for him.

He nodded, with something of an animalistic anguish about his features. "She'll never know," he said, obviously trying to keep his voice steady.

"How long?"

The man thought a minute. "At least a few years...I'm not really sure when it started," he admitted, with a slight nostalgic smile, "but...God, I just...I can't live without her, I absolutely _love_ her, but...she's always looking after..._him_."

In that instant, Sakura felt one of the hugest shocks of realization and revelation to ever hit her.

_This is how Naruto felt._

_This is how Naruto _feels.

_It's all my fault._

_And now-_

She squashed her thoughts. _This is about Kiba and Hinata,_ she reminded herself sternly, returning herself to Kiba's tormented face.

"You know she needs to know," Sakura mused, "but you don't want to be the one to tell her...and at the same time, you don't want her to learn it from anybody else. You don't want her to have to go through that, but if she has to, you want to be there." She raised her eyes to his level, and some understanding passed between them.

"I just don't know what to do," Kiba groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Somedays, I just...I feel like giving up, you know?"

She finished her tea and stood, awkwardly. "Um...I don't know what you should tell her, or when," she started, leaning back on the balls of her feet. "But I do know one thing."

"What?" Kiba asked sullenly.

Sakura's expression grew faraway. "Don't give up," she whispered, barely audible over the clang of breakfast plates and teacups. "Someday, she'll come around, she'll notice that you've always been there...and she'll realize why you're special to her. Be persistent, okay, Kiba?"

"Don't give up."


	11. Lonely Word

_Omelets_

**Chapter Eleven: **_Lonely Word_

Sakura walked into the house comfortably, dumping the paperwork in her arms on a table and pouring herself some water in a glass. "Sakura-chan?" a voice called from behind her, and she felt her heart speed up. _It's-_

"Mmm-hmmm?" she replied, almost dropping her glass._ Why am I so clumsy around him?_ She picked the paperwork back up and balanced it along with the glass as she walked into the small "training" room.

The first thing she saw were his bright blue eyes, that she didn't notice she'd been missing. She smiled subconsciously, before the events of the previous night and morning flooded into her mind and she looked away.

Sakura could still feel his eyes on her, watching her with concern, and she was forced to look back up. "Where were you this morning?" she asked, suddenly feeling vulnerable and dependent.

A grin spread across his face, then he frowned. "Well...where were you? I came home to tell you and..."

The kunoichi pressed her hand to her mouth. "Oops!" she muttered. "Sorry, I figured you'd already left for the day and I..." _Went for breakfast with Kiba...but it wasn't a date. Yeah, that sounds believable. But it's the truth!_

"It's all right," Naruto dismissed, smiling widely, bouncing slightly on his feet. "But you'll _never_ guess why Tsunade-baa-chan called me over to the office!"

She had to smile at his enthusiasm. "Why?"

When she heard the news, she realized why he'd been so happy. "Naruto, that's wonderful!" she gasped. "After all of these years..." She reached up to embrace him in a sudden impulse, but when his arms went around her, she suddenly felt weak at the knees.

Trying to force herself to breathe, she pulled away slightly so she could see his face. "That's great," Sakura said sincerely, her hand on the back of his neck _(when did it get there?)_. "It really is."

He smiled at her, and she almost leaned in and kissed him in that very moment. _What am I doing?_ her inner self freaked, waving her arms frantically. _Have I officially lost my mind? I should be locked up! I'm a danger to society! I'm not in control of myself anymore!_

Naruto, thankfully, was oblivious to her dilemma and was still smiling that annoying _(captivating)_ smile at her. "So," he said, his voice breaking the moment. "What did you do today, Sakura-chan?"

She giggled at him, and wondered why they still had their arms around each other - but didn't want to be the first to let go. "Nothing that important," she answered. "Oh - I heard from my mom." She made a face.

He looked taken aback and his arms slipped from her shoulders. _Shannaro..._she muttered mentally, trying not to show her disappointment. "What did she say?" he asked, obviously worried.

Sakura shrugged. "Just what I expected, you know - 'I still love you but I found out where you're mad and I'm still ticked off at you'." She rolled her eyes. "She probably has tons of scandalous ideas, haha..."

Naruto's worried expression hadn't let up. "Where did you see her?"

The girl's eyes widened. "Oh, no, Kiba told me. I, um...ran into him on my way to town..." _Literally_.

He raised an eyebrow, and she caught a flash of jealousy in his eyes. "Oh, what's going on with Kiba?" He was obviously trying to keep his voice light - _Naruto, you know I know you better than that._

"Not much," she said thoughtfully, "he just...wanted to tell me that, and wanted to know if the rumors were true. About us," she added hastily, "living together. I told him the truth."

Naruto regarded her with an unreadable expression in his eyes, and she frowned. "Anyway, what she said - I'm not surprised, but...I know she doesn't really like me."

"With good reason," he mumbled. "Especially with what she must think." He met her eyes and then looked away. "Sakura-chan-"

"What?" she growled, glaring at him.

Green met blue. She looked away first. "It's true," he said helplessly. "I'm a-"

"Shut up."

She said it plainly, not so much angrily. Then she repeated it, with a little more passion.

"Shut up!"

Naruto was just looking at her, and finally Sakura snapped.

"You!" she hissed. "You, you, you keep doing this, you're not a monster! Quit saying that! And while you're at it, quit being so darn _perfect_ one second, then aggravating the next! You tick me off _so freakin' much_, because I can't stop thinking about you! Jeez! I feel like I have some kind of condition, I turn red, I stutter, I can't breathe, I-" she paused for breath, and the look in his eyes was too much. It was a contradiction in itself, somehow both confused and understanding, somehow joyful and pained, somehow -

_SHANNARO!_

"I love you," she breathed, feeling her heart pound.

* * *

Naruto was absolutely sure that either he was dreaming or he'd finally lost his sanity.

_There's no way Sakura-chan just said that. No way! It's absolutely crazy there's no way-_

"I love you!" she said again, suddenly forceful. "I love you, shannaro! Naruto, you idiot, are you even listening to me?"

He hesitated between his immediate instincts and his knowledge of Sakura. She was likely to punch him either way, he decided, _so I might as well just go for it! Even if it is a dream!_

When he opened his mouth, it seemed that he'd lost his voice during her fervent confession. She was still glaring at him with some kind of feeling he couldn't identify, and finally he managed to say what he'd been dying to say for the last six years.

"I love you, Sakura-chan," he murmured, then grinned. "I love you _too!_"

Somehow during this whole exchange, they'd moved over to the couch - he collapsed on it, taking her down with him _(when did we start holding each other again?_, he wondered vaguely). "I love you," he said again, breathlessly.

A true smile broke out on her face, maybe the brightest smile that he'd ever seen. "I love you." She drew it out, pouring emotion into the sentence. "I love you."

"Someone wake me up," he groaned. "There's no way this is-"

Naruto had to stop what he was saying because all of a sudden she was moving closer and before he knew it, they were _kissing. _The kiss was soft and hesitant, _but absolutely perfect_, he thought dreamily, somewhat dazed. Before he knew it, she'd drawn away shyly, and he realized he was still staring at her, his eyes unfocused.

He tried to tear his eyes away, but failed. _She probably wants me to say something_, he thought, _but what?_ He cleared his throat, and attempted to clear his mind and focus his thoughts into words.

"You...why didn't you tell me?" he found himself saying before he realized it.

Sakura flushed. "I-I didn't know," she muttered, looking away. "Not until I started talking and then...you...and..." She still seemed somewhat confused to what had just transpired, but she didn't seem like she regretted it.

"Oh man," he said, still dazed. "This has to be a dream."

She pinched him, giggling. "It's real," she told him sweetly. "I _promise_."

A foxy grin spread across his face as her words finally hit him fully. _Sakura loves me. She loves me!_ He immediately reached forward and took her back into his arms, never wanting to let her go again.

* * *

She moved closer to him, hugging him tighter. He whispered in her ear.

"Are you sure?"

Not trusting herself with speech, Sakura nodded into him.

"We...we can't go back." Naruto's voice was somewhat gruff and pained.

She looked up at him, and shoved him away. "Why would I want to go back?" she demanded. "I told you that I'm in love with you, isn't that enough for you?"

"Well, I could always hear it more," he started, and she threw a pillow at him.

"Shut up, you idiot," she muttered, blushing again for some inexplicable reason. He smirked at her.

"There's the girl I fell in love with," he teased. "Always hitting me and telling me to shut up...oh well."

_Two can play that game._ She met his eyes. "Well, the guy I fell in love with is a total oblivious idiot, and deserves to be hit."

"Touche," he said easily, leaning back. She wondered how he could be so calm right now, but she guessed that it might be because it still hadn't fully hit him. Or maybe he'd just gotten used to the thought long before it happened. She was feeling surprisingly...unsurprised, herself. Somehow, deep inside her, she'd always known.

"Oh, we have dinner reservations," Naruto mentioned casually, and Sakura snapped out of her happy trance.

"What? We- where? When did this happen?" she asked.

He grinned. "Well, it's a pretty fancy place," he said, obviously pleased with himself. "I got the reservations this morning, after I couldn't find you. I mean...it's a special day, after all."

She couldn't figure out whether he meant because of the Hokage news, the kiss, or something else entirely, but she had more important things to worry about. "What should I wear?"

Naruto looked at her blankly.

Sakura sighed, exasperated. "I didn't pack my fancy clothes," she explained. "I, um, I didn't think I'd need them."

He looked slightly embarrassed. "Oh, well...you'll be fine in anything, I promise. You always look beautiful, Sakura-chan." He offered a smile to try and appease her.

She groaned. "I'll go and try and scrounge up a decent outfit," she muttered, then chanced a glance at him. _Well...I guess we are kind of together now, aren't we?_ she wondered absently, smiling at the thought. It might take a little getting used to, but...

Sakura leaned over and kissed him briefly on the cheek, before turning and disappearing into her room, unable to keep a large grin from spreading across her face. _Naruto and Sakura,_ she mused. _That doesn't sound half bad._


End file.
